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Local Scholarship Campaign Makes an Impact Close to Home

October 2014

Each year, hundreds of students from the eight counties surrounding Young Harris College are able to attend YHC because of generous contributions to the Local Scholarship Campaign.

Jimmy Nichols, relationship manager at United Community Bank in Blairsville, is one of the dedicated community members contributing to the success of the Local Scholarship Campaign—and, in turn, the achievements of YHC students.

“A college education is imperative to prepare young men and women for the life ahead of them,” said Nichols. “In many cases, scholarships may be the only avenue local students have to attend college. By supporting local scholarships, I have an opportunity to impact the lives of these young people.”

For the 2014-2015 academic year, more than $3.6 million was awarded to nearly 300 students from Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Rabun, Towns and Union counties in Georgia as well as Cherokee and Clay counties in North Carolina.

“YHC has always been an outstanding educational facility,” said Nichols, whose wife, Dayna Owenby Nichols, ’01, was a scholarship recipient during her student days at YHC. “Now that it’s a four-year institution, local students are able to obtain a well-recognized undergraduate degree right here in the beautiful mountains they call home.”

James Rowe, a sophomore biology major from Blairsville, agrees. “At YHC, I am pursuing my dream of playing collegiate golf while getting an amazing education that will help me get into medical school.”

The Nicholses have experienced first-hand the benefits of scholarships, and choose to “pay it forward” for that reason.

“Through the Local Scholarship Campaign, we are able to continue the cycle of giving to education with the ultimate goal of supporting young people through their college career,” explained Nichols. “We are confident these students will graduate from YHC and become successful, thus making a better world for all of us to live.”

The 2014-2015 Local Scholarship Campaign will kick off in early October.

“On behalf of myself and other scholarship recipients, I want to extend my appreciation to all those who have so generously contributed to this fund that’s allowing us to be part of this time of tremendous growth at YHC,” said Rowe.

To find out more information about the Local Scholarship Campaign, visit yhc.edu/lsc or contact the Office of Advancement at (706) 379-5173.